I was repairing a minor imperfection outside the passenger ship Onyx-4. I had been working as a technician on it for the past four years. It was a normal day on a flight from Mars to Titan. The ship had stopped on Jupiter’s orbit so the passengers could have a nice look at the planet’s…
The Secret of the Alien Cave
It was a particularly rainy night on Industrial District 4, lightning struck the Earth permeating the air with a thundering roar. It was my first time going to another planet by myself, it was my first time volunteering for world exploration. “Hang on to your heels.” said the man in a white coat as he…
The Spheres of the Desert
Julek Bohme was standing outside the water purifying plant on the edge of sphere #38. He looked through the thick glass towards the horizon where the sun began to hide behind the dunes of the desert. He didn’t usually think of anything while he looked outside to the sterile world, and it wasn’t odd…
Starfinder
The people of the Milky Way sent me out into the intergalactic void in search of hope. I have been on my journey for many thousands of years travelling at a speed unimaginable, I can only guess how much time they’ve waited for me, for us, for the hope of new life… millions of years,…
Hadopelagic
I was part of the team, we had been looking for funding for years before that, and one day, just like that, an anonymous donation came in. We didn’t know where it came from. We tried, we reached out… but I suppose the person or organisation wanted to remain out of the public’s eye. After…
Planet Hopping
It wasn’t my first time planet-hopping, but it was my first time in a world engulfed completely in water. A friend of mine had teleported to it a few months back and never told anyone about it. Not even the government knew of its existence. He said it was the most fun he had ever…
I Love You Not
“I love you.” Andie looked away through the observatory window in the ship. Out there the stars shined bright, they shined despite his impending doom. How could they? He looked at the star they were approaching, a blue supergiant. He didn’t know how much the ship would last absorbing the radiation, before it melted or…
Another Time
“So, what’s it gonna be?” Eric’s mind raced with the possibilities he had contemplated, if he was sent back to study the past he would most likely die of disease, or he’d die of a horrible infection when he stubbed his toe on a huge wooden table. He wouldn’t be able to trust anyone, he’d…
Journey to the End of the Universe
Tim sat in his living room in silence, listening to phone ring in his hand. Why did people feel compelled to stop him? Was the decision not his? Had he no right to want something that much? Did he somehow break a moral rule he was unaware of? The phone stopped ringing. It was…
The Interstellar Orchestra
“Do you hear that?” “No…” “Listen. Close your eyes and listen, pay attention to the silence… Do you hear it?” Fara closed her eyes as instructed and took a deep breath. She listened to the silence of the night, and she realized the silence was not absolute, it contained sounds. First she heard the most…